Evolution of Developmental Psychology: Key Philosophers &
School
Stephens College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
PSY 111
Subject
Psychology
Date
Dec 10, 2024
Pages
3
Uploaded by EarlTreeCrab52
The history and evolution of developmental psychology SLIDE0-1- Intro page SLIDE-2 –INtroduction to dev psych and graph showcasing major contributoras SLIDE-3 Early philosophers that contributed to the origin of developmental psychology Developmental Psychology as a subject began in the early 19thcentury, but before that there were 3 philosophers- John Locke, Jean Jacquess Rousseau and Charles Darwin had a pivotal role to play in the origin of the field 1.John Locke- John Locke proposed that children were born as innocent creatures, the use of education through the right form of parenting could lead to the moral development of child to be able to use reason and reflection. In addition he proposed that the use of tools like corporeal punishment could be detrimental to the child development and serve as the wrong tool of motivation (Boeker,2023). He served as one of child developmental psychology as a philosopher and laid the foundation for further research to take place. 2.Jean Jacques Rousseau- Rousseau's work was focused on the raising of children. He believed that children should be exposed to nature for a part of their formative years so that they can learn from the environment around them. These experiences that the children acquired would help them make their own judgements, and form their own inclinations in society. He believed that intervention should only be brought up after a certain maturity that the child has acquired. (Koops, 2012). 3.Charles Darwin- Darwin contributed indirectly to both evolutionary and developmental psychology. The insights that he observed from observing the growth of his own son, led him to conclude that the ability for a child to acquire language is beneficial to the mental development of children. In addition, he was also able to conclude that children between the ages of 10-12 months were equally capable as dogs to understand words (Hellal & Lorch,2010) References 1. Boeker, R. (2023). Locke on Education, Persons, and Moral Agency. International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 31(2), 202-210. 2. Koops, W. (2012). Jean Jacques Rousseau, modern developmental psychology, and education. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(sup1), 46-56. 3. Hellal, P., & Lorch, M. (2010). Darwin's contribution to the study of child development and language acquisition. Language & History, 53(1), 1-14. Sliode-4 THE FATHER OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY Granville Stanely Hall As a pedological expert and psychologist, Hall was responsible for guiding the progress of educational and childbearing practices across the United States. He proposed that the child’s psychological development was a repetition of the species over time. To spread more awareness, Hall travelled across the United States holding educational meetings and deploying topical syllabi or questionnaires(to understand the child’s fears)as research projects within the local communities where he sought the help of parents and educators. At the time, people believed that too much attention would make the kids weak and that rough handling along with cold water baths specifically for boys would make them stronger. Hall made an effort to change this mindset by asking the
parents to document their children from the infancy stage- noting the baby’s behaviors, taking pictures over time to understand the human, parental and ancestorial beliefs that existed within the child. This movement created by Hall encouraged mothers specially to create child study clubs were these topics were discussed in length in order to improve the welfare of the children Reference Young, J. L. (2016). G. Stanley Hall, child study, and the American public. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 177(6), 195-208.SLIDE-5 The Initial contributors to Developmental Psychology- Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget and Carl Jung 1.John Bowlby-John Bowlby focused his developmental work to understand the relationship between an infant and a mother by utilising tools like Ethology, Cybernetics and cognitive psychology thereby forming the attachment theory. He proposed that infants are social being from inception and that they get attached to people in their close proximity as a means to protect themselves from danger both physically and psychologically. He showcased that open and sensitive relationships between mothers and children helped alleviate stress and enable autonomy both in young children as well as infants. In addition, these relationships get internalised at a young age, thereby affecting the relationships that the child may have in the future 2.Piaget- According to Piaget, There are 4 developmental stages of a child-sensorimotor(0-2 years), preoperational (2-7 years), Concrete Operational (7-11 years) and Formal Operational (11+) •Sensorimotor Stage- Piaget propose that children till the age of 2 are able to understand objects only through their senses and believe that those objects that are not present at the moment in front of them cease to exist. He further explains that at the age of 18 months children acquire a limited vocabulary and when they reach 2 years they are able to make short sentences. •Preoperational Stage- The children here are able to understand the world only through images and words, he also believes that they lack the ability to differentiate between the animate and inanimate objects as well as between their perspectives and those of others. This has been disproved by other psychologists. •Concrete Operational Stage- A stage at which children are able to define their own perspectives and classify object easily. •Formal Operational Stage- At the age of 11 of older, Piaget believes that children are able to think logically and understand abstract topics in depth. 3.Bandura- Albert Bandura’s work was primarily focused on Social Cognitive Theory. The theory is focused on the learning that individuals acquire in a social context with a reciprocal interaction with people, environment and behavior. It also highlights that an individual’s past can affect their behavior and influence their reinforcements and expectation. His work also contributes greatly in helping to understand how mental health professionals can help patients based on their experiences. References
1. Bretherton, I. (1997). Bowlby's legacy to developmental psychology. Child psychiatry and human development, 28, 33-43. 2. Babakr, Z., Mohamedamin, P., & Kakamad, K. (2019). Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory: Critical review. Education Quarterly Reviews, 2(3). 3. Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual review of psychology, 52(1), 1-26. SLIDE-6 The first experiment in Developmental Psychology Slide-7 The Current Trends in Developmental Psych Slide-8 References